Santa Rosa approves garbage contract; 15-year deal will sharply raise rates

[Sara S]

Santa Rosa approves deal with new garbage hauler slated to increase rates

KEVIN MCCALLUM
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | August 29, 2017


Santa Rosa signed off Tuesday on a new 15-year garbage contract with a San Francisco-based company that is slated to sharply raise rates for 55,000 homes and businesses while pledging to improve customer service, safety for its workers and practices to benefit the environment.

The City Council unanimously approved the new contract with Recology, which is in the process of buying the city’s current hauler, The Ratto Group, the North Bay’s dominant garbage contractor.

The new deal calls for rate increases starting at 58 percent for most residential customers, as well as hikes of more than 200 percent for some businesses. The increases gave council members pause and have raised alarms among residents.

“It’s a big step,” Councilman Ernesto Olivares said. “It’s gonna be a bit of sticker shock for most, but we have to do it. We don’t have any other choice.”

Betty Rowell, 67, a resident of northwest Santa Rosa, estimated that her bill — currently reduced through a discount for seniors that will be eliminated — is set to soar 92 percent. The increase “really blows me away,” she told the council. “Ninety-two percent is a big difference to me and my household!”

The council directed staff to explore ways to reduce rates for low-income residents and seniors.
Overall, however, most council members expressed certainty that, following an exhaustive, six-month-long selection process, the city was getting the best deal possible.

“I feel very confident in this contract that we are going to get a high level of service from a responsible company that’s fair to its workers that going to allow us to hit our diversion rates,” Councilman Chris Rogers said, referring to the amount of recycling and salvaged material kept out of landfills.

The deal kicks in Jan 1. The new contract with Recology is valued at $49 million per year, or $735 million over its life. The company will pay about $7 million in fees per year to the city, or $105 million over the full term.

Councilman John Sawyer, who served on the review panel, called it “probably the largest and most important contract any council member can vote on.”

Aside from the sharp rate increase, many other changes in service may not be immediately apparent for customers. Recology is purchasing all of Ratto’s existing trucks and will use them initially.

It takes about nine months to get new garbage trucks built and delivered to California, Recology president Mike Sangiacomo said.

The city granted Recology an extension allowing it to get the 50 new trucks and tens of thousands of new carts — an estimated $20 million investment — into operation by the end of May 2018.

One of the key provisions of the contract calls for the diversion rate, which currently stands at 36 percent, to increase to 60 percent by 2029.

The company says it plans to have an aggressive education component, including six dedicated recycling staff members focusing on reducing the amount of garbage sent to the county landfill. Councilman Tom Schwedhelm said he hoped the company would get to that level well before then.

A number of labor and environmental activists showed up to support Recology’s bid and to argue for a nexus between a unionized workforce, which the company has, and communities working toward a “zero waste” goal.

[ChefJayTay]

Again...
Why are local governments dictating who we pay to pick up our trash?
One company buying another, and the city picks up the tab. How convenient.

[Stargazer]

Again...
Why are local governments dictating who we pay to pick up our trash?
One company buying another, and the city picks up the tab. How convenient.

​

[podfish]

Again...
Why are local governments dictating who we pay to pick up our trash?
One company buying another, and the city picks up the tab. How convenient.

yep, it is. Sadly, it's the tragedy of the commons kind of stuff, though - you're creating an environment where the system can be gamed. The good old days of dumping old tires in the gullys and burning trash in the dumps are gone. Recycling is a pain in the butt and even if people care (most won't lift too many fingers if it's inconvenient to sort) we're screwed because of the packaging designs. I forget who's the zero-waste-stream poster here, but maybe he'll chime in.

We're paying the price for the last century's techniques for product development, transport and distribution. Buying meat from a local butcher and veggies from a stand would potentially save a ton of waste. Not using Amazon or others who ship packaging with a little bit of product thrown in would too. It's easy to focus on the cost to each of us imposed by government who in all good conscience should try to deal with the issue since individuals don't. I don't see much sign of overt corruption here, though the garbage business has traditionally been rife with it. But like rent, garbage management just costs too damn much.